The stakes have been raised after North Korea’s recent test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Fresh from his lengthy head-to-head encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin, U. S. President Donald Trump on Saturday dove into discussions on trade and North Korea in a packed agenda with world leaders at an international summit.
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Wrapping up his second trip overseas, Trump was meeting later in the day with President Xi Jinping of China as the U. S. sought to forge a consensus on how to counter North Korea’s push to develop its ballistic missile and nuclear program. The White House has tried to pressure Beijing to rein in North Korea but Trump has expressed frustration with the process.
Trump said he had a “tremendous meeting” with Putin as he sat alongside British Prime Minister Theresa May on the sidelines of an international summit in Germany. It marked Trump’s first comments on his high-profile talks with Putin in which he raised the issue of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 elections and discussed plans for a cease-fire agreement in Syria.
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It was the president’s final day of meetings at the annual Group of 20 summit, which have been marked by violent riots in the city between anti-globalization activists and police.
Noting his “special relationship” with the British prime minister, the president said he and May were working on a trade agreement that he described as a “very, very big deal, very powerful, great deal for both countries.”
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May was the first foreign leader to visit Trump at the White House and he told her he would soon “be going to London” once details were worked out. Independent trade negotiations between the two countries are a possibility as Britain exists the European Union – a move Trump has supported.
Trade was also on Trump’s mind as he met President Joko Widodo of Indonesia. The president said he planned to do “lots of deals” with Indonesia and expressed hope of bolstering their trade ties.
WATCH: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin address media at G20 summit in Hamburg
Trump’s meeting with Xi, meanwhile, was coming at a delicate time in the relationship between the two global powers.
The Trump administration is investigating the possibility of putting new barriers on steel imports based on national security considerations, a move that could target China, which has flooded international markets with cheap steel exports.
